Needed Education of a Beef Producers

Raising beef cattle for profit can be a satisfying enterprise. Notwithstanding, at that place are a number of direction skills that each beef producer should take to be successful. Each livestock enterprise has different resources: land, labor, majuscule, feed, and management. To raise beef cattle sustainably, yous must manage these resources.

In addition to managing resources, new producers must enquire themselves, What practise I need to get started? This question involves considerations for the type of animals a producer wishes to raise every bit well as where to find these animals, how to select them, and what equipment will be needed for the operation. Producers also need to consider how they will feed their animals and what health care practices they will utilize to go on the animals healthy. Savvy producers volition let markets place the blazon of animals they should heighten in order to generate a profit. This fact sheet may exist used as a guide for beef cattle producers but getting started in the industry to learn:

How to decide what type of animate being yous should raise
Most the unlike breeds and how to select the right ane for you
Where to buy your animals
What to expect for every bit the platonic characteristics
What equipment you'll need to raise your animals
How to brood and raise your beef cattle
What to feed and how to treat your animals' health
What information technology takes to market your animals

What Type of Animals Should I Raise?

The first matter to make up one's mind when starting a new beef cattle enterprise is what type of animals to raise. This decision should direct reflect the markets a producer has available to sell beefiness cattle and consider the resources available on the farm and the producer's private goals.

Beef cattle may be used to produce meat or generate seedstock (breeding animals). The intended markets may dictate what brood or breeds are best suited for the operation. Some producers cull to breed females to produce calves to sell for convenance stock or market animals. Other producers may prefer to purchase weaned animals, also known every bit feeders, to raise to market weight.

Producers should start by determining if they wish to raise purebred or commercial stock. A purebred functioning typically raises animals of one breed. Often a purebred operation volition accept all registered animals that can as well be sold through purebred sales. A commercial operation may have unregistered purebred animals, or they may accept crossbred animals. Crossbred animals have the do good of hybrid vigor, which is just the ability of crossbred offspring to increase in productivity over the average of the breeds that were part of the cross. This means that a crossbred calf could grow faster, or a crossbred female could produce more milk for its offspring.

Selecting a Breed

Each livestock breed has different traits for which they are recognized. Breed associations can provide data on those traits and help you narrow your determination regarding what breed or breeds fit best with your operation. Beef cattle breeds are oft divided into maternal (moo-cow) and final (sire) breeds. Maternal breeds are typically moderately sized and recognized for their ability to raise salubrious calves. Concluding breeds are by and large a chip larger in their size and commonly used for meat production. In addition to these two classifications, blended breeds of cattle as well exist.

Composite breeds are cattle breeds that are generally made upwardly of maternal and terminal breeds and often combine genetics for specific environments or markets. While many producers employ both maternal and terminal breeds in their systems, composite breeds accept been established and are recognized past their pedigree. Many breeds exist in the United States. The more common breeds are listed in the tabular array below.

Maternal

Angus
Hereford
Shorthorn
Red Angus

Concluding

Charolais
Gelbvieh
Limousin
Simmental
Maine Anjou

Blended

SimAngus
Maintainer
Braford
Beefmaster
Limflex

Angus Photo credit: Michelle Kunjappu, PA Beef Producers Working Grouping

Hereford Photo credit: Michelle Kunjappu, PA Beefiness Producers Working Group

Photo credit: Michelle Kunjappu, PA Beef Producers Working Group

Photograph credit: Dave Hartman, Penn State Extension

Where Tin I Buy Animals?

Animals can exist purchased through several different means. Many sales are held beyond the country throughout the year and may offer only i breed, a diversity of breeds, or fifty-fifty crossbreds for sale. Another option would be to locate reputable breeders and purchase directly from their subcontract. A broad variety of animals may be available at a local auction barn; however, allow the heir-apparent beware. Animals sold through this venue are more likely to take health issues.

Choose breeding males that will complement the outstanding traits in your females and improve their weaknesses. Always use the best bull you can beget to improve the genetics in your herd. The male has a corking influence on your herd because his offspring could remain in the herd for a number of years.

Exist witting of selecting and keeping skillful productive females that will produce and wean ane calf per twelvemonth without aid and maintain their body condition without condign overly thin or fat.

Option Principles

There are two methods to select livestock: animal operation and visual appraisal. Animals should first exist selected on functioning (east.g., how well calves abound or how much calves weigh at weaning), and and then the higher-performing animals should be evaluated visually.

Performance selection principles evaluate measurable traits such equally birth weight, weaning weight, yearling weight, or meat yield and quality.

Producers who evaluate growth traits should suit weaning weights to business relationship for the sex activity of the calf, age of the dam, birth weight, and weaning weight. Weaning weights are typically adjusted to 205 days of historic period.

Progressive cattle producers with registered animals can enroll their herd in breeding association databases to obtain expected progeny differences (EPDs). These EPDs apply genetic linkages to assess genetic merit for growth, carcass, and maternal traits. EPDs allow producers to evaluate animal genetics without environmental influences.

Commercial producers can apply performance data when selecting a new bull. More than information on expected progeny differences can be found by contacting brood associations.

Visual animal appraisement evaluates aspects such equally structural correctness, muscling, torso capacity, and breed graphic symbol. Evaluating structural correctness allows producers to place animals with defects that are not credible through performance evaluation.

Purebred producers who raise registered stock should become familiar with breed characteristics associated with the breed they enhance, such as:

ear length and shape
color and distribution of color
polled condition
defects that disqualify animals from registration

These depicted bulls exhibit the ideal characteristics of breeding males .

Angus bull. Photo credit: Michelle Kunjappu, PA Beefiness Producers Working Group

Hereford bull. Photo credit: Michelle Kunjappu, PA Beef Producers Working Group

Equipment Needs

Later the appropriate animals are chosen for the operation, the equipment necessary to maintain those animals must be gathered. Beef cattle operations can exist low input simply even so need a variety of equipment. Bones equipment includes feeders, water tubs or watering systems, and wellness care equipment. Because condom is a concern when managing these large animals, beef cattle operations should also take equipment for handling cattle.

Feeders

Feeders should be used to forestall animals from eating off the ground. Well-designed feeders will also forestall animals from wasting feed by spilling it onto the footing. There are potential health concerns when cattle eat off the basis, including parasite infections; all the same, feed costs represent the primary input cost on whatever beef cattle operation and every bit such, feed waste is a driving factor for feeders.

Feeders can exist elementary like racks to hold circular bales. Photo credit: Bigstock.com

Many dissimilar sizes and styles of feeders are bachelor for beefiness cattle. Some feeders tin can adjust feeding both hay and grain, while others may be designed to feed simply hay or only grain. Producers should exist sure that all animals have access to the feeder if feeding at specified fourth dimension frames. If animals have free-selection access to the feeders throughout the day, smaller feeders can be used.

Feeders may too include elementary troughs to hold supplemental protein, energy, or minerals for grazing cattle. Photo credit: Michelle Kunjappu, PA Beef Producers Working Group

In solitude finishing systems, beef cattle may be fed a more than consummate mixed ration in a bunk. Photo credit: Michelle Kunjappu, PA Beefiness Producers Working Group

Beef cattle of all classes should ever have access to a skilful-quality mineral mix formulated for their product needs. Most producers provide beef cows and grazing cattle free-choice minerals when on pasture, while others limit-feed minerals daily in a grain mix.

Fenceline-style feeders permit producers access on one side to identify feed and grain into the feeder while animals admission their feed on the other side. Walkthrough feeders allow producers to walk down the center of the feeder. Grain can be placed in a trough on either or both sides and hay is shared in the central walking area. Producers should be careful not to contaminate feeders with manure-covered footwear.

Larger operations oftentimes feed hay in the form of large round or foursquare bales. Many styles of hay feeders exist, but the inverted-cone-style feeders are ofttimes recommended for beefiness cattle equally they normally waste matter the to the lowest degree corporeality feed waste material.

Water

H2o is mayhap the nigh important nutrient because information technology impacts feed consumption. Poor-quality h2o or not enough h2o can decrease feed intake and result in decreased animal operation. Producers can supply water using anything from buckets to troughs to automatic watering systems. As with feeders, many different styles are bachelor. The central is that water should exist fresh, clean, and available at all times.

Automatic frost-free waterers may be used on pasture or in confinement for cattle. Photo credit: Betty Cameron, Bedford County Sheep Producer

Permanent spring improvements tin provide a twelvemonth-round water supply for beef cattle on pasture. This system has additional crushed stone around it to prevent excess mud accumulation in the expanse. Photograph credit: Melanie Barkley, Penn State Extension

Simplistic bladder tank trough systems can be easily moved depending on cattle location. Photograph credit: Melanie Barkley, Penn Land Extension

Pasture Systems

Many beef cattle, particularly mature cows and bulls, graze pastures throughout the spring, summer, and fall. Producers should pay close attention to pasture height in an endeavor to maximize forage utilization. Pastures should be subdivided to provide an acceptable amount of forage for the grazing fourth dimension, often iv to five days. Animals should be moved to a new section of pasture past the time forage has been grazed down to four inches in meridian. Rotating pastures ensures the nutrients from manure are spread out and that cattle utilize bachelor resources efficiently. Continuous grazing can crusade forage stand impairment in overused or high-traffic areas and encourages weed growth in other less-desirable areas of the pasture.

A good-quality perimeter argue contains livestock inside the pasture and keeps predators out. Many producers prefer loftier-tensile fencing with some wires electrified. Subdivision fencing divides larger fields into smaller areas to better manage forage growth. Subdivision fencing for beef cattle can ofttimes be a single strand of polywire with pace-in posts to reduce input costs. Most cattle will respect ane strand if it is electrified.

Pastures should also provide access to water. This ranges from temporary systems that motion with the animals to permanent systems. Many producers choose to install undercover systems that can be accessed throughout a pasture system to reduce the labor of hauling h2o. Depending on the system and region, information technology may be necessary to access electricity to heat waterers in common cold months.

Health Care Equipment

Routine health care employs practices to prevent disease. Common practices include tagging, vaccinating, dehorning, castrating, and deworming. These practices require bones equipment such equally tags and tagging pliers, syringes and needles, elastrator bands, a band expander tool, and a drench syringe or drench gun. Tagging is considered a health care piece of equipment because tagging is important to identify treated animals.

Producers may also wish to dehorn their cattle to prevent horn growth. This is frequently performed with an electric dehorner shortly after the horn buds break through the peel. Dehorning prevents time to come injury to other animals and handlers.

Hoof trimming is another health intendance equipment particular. Hoof trimming is not considered routinely necessary in nearly beef cattle operations. In add-on, most beef cattle must be put in a tilt table in social club to have their hooves trimmed for the safety of both the trimmer and the animal. Therefore, many beginning cattle producers will contact a professional should hoof care be necessary.

A bander can be used to castrate young males. Photo credit: Michelle Kunjappu, PA Beefiness Producers Working Group

Other Types of Equipment

Larger equipment may be used by beef cattle operations to permit producers to handle or manage animals more efficiently. Producers can apply a scale to monitor animal growth performance at weaning and other times throughout the yr. A scale should as well be used to weigh animals to summate the correct dosage for medication treatments. Three types of scales are often used by livestock producers: beam, dial, and digital.

Equipment for beef cattle production should include these items necessary to maintain herd health, like this drench for deworming animals. Photo credit: Dr. Tara Felix, Penn Land Extension

Most feeder calves and finished cattle are bought and sold on a weight basis. Therefore, because the economics in beef systems are based on pounds of calf to sell or weight of finished cattle, scales are an important part of cattle operations. Scales can also help monitor weights at critical times throughout the twelvemonth, such as breeding, weaning, and so on. All scales should be tested to ensure accuracy. Simple scales tin can be placed in line in a handling system.

Treatment system equipment allows producers to more efficiently handle animals. Information technology functions past gathering animals into a grouping pen and so funneling them into the chute. Animals walk single file downwardly the chute, where they are held for routine health care or sorting. Gates at both ends of the arrangement contain the animals while producers perform tasks. Gates can function by sliding back and forth or up and down like a guillotine.

A head grab in the chute restrains the cattle for necessary procedures, while ensuring the condom of both the cattle and the human handlers. Photograph credit: Dr. Tara Felix, Penn State Extension

If the beef cattle operation intends to use implants to increment growth performance of market animals, a handling arrangement should be used. In improver, if the operation desires to brood using artificial insemination, a handling system is a must.

An alley allows the beefiness cattle producers to move several cattle at a time, making cattle handling easier and more than efficient. Photograph credit: Dr. Tara Felix, Penn State Extension

Reproduction and Breeding Seasons

Gestation length for beef cattle is about 9 months, varying slightly among breeds and sires. However, the typical gestation length for most cows ranges from 282 to 288 days.

Cattle will cycle throughout the year. However, managing a defined breeding season will assist improve the efficiency of the cow herd and marketability of the calves. Most productive cattle operations maintain a unmarried breeding season. While many operations breed animals to calve in the spring when weather is warming up, some may cull to calve in the fall to take advantage of a less saturated calf market place. Purebred cattle used for seedstock are often bred to calve early on in the twelvemonth, January or February, so that those animals tin enter the breeding herd at heavier weights.

Heat cycles and age at puberty vary slightly among breeds. If breeding heifers (females that have not calved before), they should weigh at least 65 to 70 pct of their mature weight by the start of the breeding season with a target of 85 pct of their mature weight at calving. Generally, it is expected that heifers volition come across this weight and be ready to breed between 11 and 15 months of historic period. It is also advisable to breed heifers one cycle ahead of mature cows so that they have additional time to rebreed the following flavor.

Some producers will take this a step further and synchronize their females and then that they are sure to breed the heifers at the desired time and the balance of the cows come into oestrus, or cycle, at the same time about a month later. This synchronization is necessary for an efficient and effective artificial insemination procedure and is most oftentimes accomplished with the use of a CIDR, although feed additive protocols exist for heifers. The CIDR contains hormones and is inserted vaginally into the females. Many protocols are available for synchronization and beginning producers are brash to piece of work with their veterinarian to establish their ain on-farm protocol.

In nigh instances, cattle give birth outdoors and, thus, calving season is timed to first when weather warms up and grass is available on pasture. However, some producers prefer to breed earlier in the breeding season in social club to market at specific times in the summer or fall. In other situations, producers may brood earlier so that calves are older and heavier while on pasture.

Producers wishing to calve earlier may need to house animals in a befouled, such as a bank befouled, depending on the climate. Calving indoors can help foreclose ears from freezing and ensure calf viability in colder temperatures.

Signs of Impending Calving

As a cow nears her fourth dimension to requite birth, she exhibits several signs that the birthing process volition begin. Shortly before calving, the udder will begin to tighten. This tightening is the udder filling with colostrum. Colostrum is the outset milk and information technology contains antibodies that help protect newborn calves from disease.

When the cow is ready to give birth, the muscles around her hips volition begin to relax and may appear as if they are sinking. The vulva changes color and is nearly apparent with lighter skin colors. For example, a lite pink colour will change to a darker pink color. Perhaps more noticeably, the vulva will swell. The udder volition experience full and tight at this point. The cow volition as well refuse feed and move away from the herd.

The offset sign that the female is in labor is the advent of the water bag. Inside a short menstruum of time, the forepart feet and nose of the newborn should appear. This will progress equally the female pushes to expel the newborn. Once the calf is built-in, the mother should begin licking to dry off the newborn and encourage the dogie to stand and nurse.

A visible water bag or feet indicate impending calving. Photo credit: Dr. Tara Felix, Penn State Extension

Typically, most beef cows calve on pasture and require little assistance. If assist is required, inexperienced producers should consult a veterinarian or an experienced producer for assistance. Help may exist required if a dogie has non been delivered within six hours of the water pocketbook appearing or if the moo-cow is found straining and the water handbag appears to take already been ruptured. Always use caution when trying to work with or around laboring cows or cows that have recently delivered. Dams will defend their immature well against predators just may turn this aggression on an unsuspecting human trying to tag or examine a new calf as well.

Pay close attending to newborns for the offset couple days after nascency. Mothers should be attentive to newborns and willing to stand for newborns to nurse. Newborns should stretch when they stand and appear warning. Newborns that cry for their mother or rush to nurse as soon as they get upward probable are not receiving enough milk. Weak calves may require feeding with a tube. Consult a veterinarian or an experienced producer for assistance.

A good beef moo-cow should immediately tend to her calf without interference. Photo credit: Wendall Landis, Penn State Beef Befouled Manager

Feeding and Nutrition

All animals crave water, protein, carbohydrates and fats (to provide energy), vitamins, and minerals in their daily nutrition. These may come from a multifariousness of sources simply should be balanced to meet nutritional requirements. Nutrient requirements change throughout an creature'southward lifetime and reflect its stage of production: growth, maintenance, breeding, pregnancy, or lactation (milk production).

Forages such as pasture and hay often run into requirements for mature animals, but they may not meet requirements for fast-growing animals. Therefore, additional poly peptide or energy sources may need to be added to the ration to meet requirements of young, rapidly growing cattle.

Additional protein requirements may be met with better quality hay or through sources such as soybeans, soybean repast, or distillers grains. Additional energy requirements may be met with a multifariousness of grain sources, but cattle are most commonly fed corn considering it is ofttimes the cheapest energy source.

In near cases, pasture provides the nigh economical feed source for mature cows. Cattle should rotationally graze pastures to yield the best quality and quantity of grazing days. In general, animals should enter a pasture when forages are 6 to x inches tall. Animals should rotate out of a pasture by the time the fodder has been grazed down to four inches. This not simply provides high-quality feed for the animals merely too helps maintain healthy plants.

Grain supplements are almost frequently used for growing cattle or in times of pasture shortage. Feeding grain to growing cattle increases weight proceeds. One common grain feeding exercise is pitter-patter feeding, the practice of supplying adept-quality grain and/or hay to young calves while they are nursing. This boosts weight gains and torso status, or level of fatness.

Wellness Problems

A proficient indicator of salubrious cattle is their body condition. Body condition for beef cattle is scored on a 9-point scale with one being emaciated and nine being obese.

Breeding females should exist maintained at an average trunk condition score of five to six. Animals with decreasing body condition scores, or that are losing weight, signal a potential health issue.

The commencement footstep to keeping animals healthy is to forbid diseases from entering the farm. Implementing biosecurity practices can aid keep diseases off the farm. Any new animal that arrives at the farm—and animals that leave the farm and render—should be quarantined from other animals for three to four weeks. In add-on, changing shoes and clothing later visiting locations where you lot had contact with other cattle tin help forestall bringing diseases to your farm. Visitors to the subcontract should be asked to either disinfect their shoes or wear plastic disposable boots.

All producers should grade a relationship with a veterinarian. This veterinary-customer-patient relationship allows the veterinarian to become familiar with your subcontract management practices and your animals and to more than quickly address whatever health bug within your herd.

Internal and External Parasites

While most beef cattle systems practise not experience product losses direct every bit a outcome of parasites, it is partly because they are very easy to treat and prevent in beef cattle. Broad-spectrum antiparasitics can be applied as a pour-on or an injectable production. Many beefiness cattle producers cull pour-on products considering they are piece of cake to apply and fairly constructive.

Boosted internal parasites that may bear on beef cattle include worms and coccidia. External parasites that may bear upon beef cattle include flies, ticks, and lice. Consult your veterinarian for more information on individual parasite species and their treatment.

Cattle should be treated for internal and external parasites to keep them healthy. Photo credit: Melanie Barkley, Penn State Extension

Abortion Diseases

Perchance more than critical than the parasites themselves are the impacts they may have on reproductive performance. Several parasites that affect cattle can cause abortions. For instance, anaplasmosis causes an anemia so severe that cattle may abort. Information technology is well-nigh commonly spread by bitter insects similar ticks; however, considering it is a bloodborne illness, humans may play a office in infecting cattle by reusing contaminated needles and castration and dehorning equipment.

There are other abortion diseases that are caused by sexually transmitted diseases. These tin can include chlamydia and trichomoniasis. Buying bulls and replacement females from reputable farms or brokers and asking near the history of venereal disease can help forbid the spread of these disorders to your farm.

Several other diseases may also cause abortions in cattle. Some of the common diseases that cause abortions can be prevented with a vaccine for viruses like bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) and infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR). Piece of work with your veterinary to establish a adept vaccination program for your beefiness cattle herd.

Human foot Wellness

A major reason for implementing biosecurity measures is to prevent highly contagious, hard-to-eradicate problems such as hairy heel wart, also known every bit digital dermatitis. Many beefiness cattle producers are noting an increment in the prevalence of digital dermatitis in herds across the country. Digital dermatitis is hard to eradicate and can cause severe lameness. If your herd becomes infected, it is fourth dimension consuming and expensive to treat infected animals and eradicate the illness. Treatment requires hoof trimming and antibiotics, thus veterinary oversight is required.

In add-on to digital dermatitis, pes wellness tin be impacted by poor nutrition. Cracked hooves or curved (sometimes called spooned) hooves are often a sign of a mineral deficiency. Always provide a expert-quality mineral to beef cattle and feed according to the label instructions.

Marketing

A number of markets are available for beef cattle. When choosing a marketplace, you must decide whether your performance volition focus on selling live animals or marketing meat. Many producers in the eastern United States focus on direct marketing of their beefiness cattle as freezer beef or retail beefiness cuts due to the admission to consumers. Alternatively, many larger producers may focus simply on selling finished cattle to a large meat packer.

Left: Many beefiness producers choose to sell beef past the side or the quarter. Photo credit: Dr. Tara Felix, Penn Country Extension

Right: Steaks are a pop consumer choice, but selling individual cuts requires a proper license. Photograph credit: Dr. Tara Felix, Penn State Extension

Continue in mind that state laws prohibit a producer from selling meat unless the animal was processed in a USDA-inspected facility. Therefore, the producers frequently sell calves live and the client would make cutting arrangements with the processing facility. Many producers also provide the service of delivering the animals to a local processing facility.

Other options for beef cattle include marketing breeding stock, feeder calves to the feedlot, or market animals for junior shows. Convenance stock are typically purebred animals and may exist marketed directly from the farm and through a registered auction. Many states operate a balderdash exam, assuasive producers to pay to accept their bulls developed aslope other young bulls and enter a larger sale at the end of the test. Work with your local extension educator to make up one's mind the best markets for your performance.

Conclusion

Raising beef cattle tin can be a rewarding farming enterprise. Very few beef cattle operations are identical to one another, allowing producers a variety of opportunities to develop a program that uniquely suits their lifestyle and farming enterprise. This brief introduction but touches on a few of the aspects to recollect about when because a beef cattle enterprise. Before offset your own enterprise, seek the advice of your extension educator or experienced beef cattle producers in your area.

For more information about beefiness cattle, visit Penn Country Extension Beef Cattle

Many opportunities exist for beef cattle producers. This publication covers bones concepts related to raising these animals. New and first producers should seek farther information on not but basic production practices but likewise diet, reproduction, and health in order to produce loftier-quality, healthy animals.

And so Y'all Desire to Raise Beef Cattle? This fact sheet may be used as a guide for beefiness cattle producers just getting started in the manufacture to larn:

How to decide what type of creature you should raise
About the dissimilar breeds and how to select the correct one for yous
Where to purchase your animals
What to look for every bit the ideal characteristics
What equipment y'all'll demand to raise your animals
How to breed and raise your beef cattle
What to feed and how to care for your animals' wellness
What it takes to market your animals

youngfroff1956.blogspot.com

Source: https://extension.psu.edu/so-you-want-to-raise-beef-cattle-print